Specific Top Candidates for Next UNT HC

[Green Mean]

I'm not going to pretend like I know anything about Joey McGuire but I would have to think we can do a lot better with a lot more skins on the wall including proven HC experience. While nothing is a guarantee we really can't afford to mess up yet another FB hire.

[Cr1028]

I don’t dismiss either of these two off hand. My question is why these two? The major sell on both is Texas high school recruiting but I was under the impression we were already recruiting really well. If we went with either of these guys, we would need strong Xs and Os guys as coordinators. I know Graham is a pretty good OC but my recollection from his first stint here is that if you gave him change for a dollar, he’d take the first quarter and let you have the other 3.

[Mean Green Matt]

My confidential sources tell me Nick Saban is looking for a new challenge after this season. He will take the job at whoever ends up #1 on the bottom 10. 

[greenminer]

@TheReal_jayD Curiously, I want to know your top 3-to-5 in-state recruiters of the last 10 years.  Also, how does Frank Wilson fit into your view? He was signing incredible classes at LSU/UTSA.

[greenminer]

 

[UNTLifer]

5 hours ago, MeanGreenZen said:

Joey McGuire has a recent DUI. Is that head coaching material? 

Depends. Was it Grey Goose flowing through his system?

[denton_days]

6 hours ago, MeanGreenZen said:

Joey McGuire has a recent DUI. Is that head coaching material? 

hell yeah means he can party

[ColoradoEagle]

We had Dickey, then Dodge, then McCarney, and then Littrell. If we’re sticking to the pattern, McGuire is the guy…

[UNT Texas Hooligan]

1 hour ago, greenminer said:

 

He's probably as good as gone if true. I can't imagine they would have fired Wells if they didn't already have something in place. The comments are hilarious though. Fans of the San Antonio Junior College thinking that him signing an extension means that he actually wants to stay and won't leave for the next best offer.

[TreeFiddy]

3 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

We had Dickey, then Dodge, then McCarney, and then Littrell. If we’re sticking to the pattern, McGuire is the guy…

The kill your fan base hiring pattern that you speak of was made famous by the prior AD.  Hopefully, after examining our craptacular success during that reign of terror, we are going to follow a different pattern going forward.

[greenminer]

33 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

We had Dickey, then Dodge, then McCarney, and then Littrell. If we’re sticking to the pattern, McGuire is the guy…

It's astounding how consistently awful RV's hires were.  At least, in football.

I think a bit back (a few years ago) someone complied the record of all his hires combined.  It was terrible.

[greenminer]

I got a good laugh out of the replies in this Tweet Thread:
 

 

[Mike Jackson]

Nothing against Graham Harrell but I am not interested in a first time HC with FBS OC being their highest level of experience.  Especially if they are from the Mike Leach coaching tree.  The spread is the most popular offense in college football these days. I doubt any Mike Leach disciple is going to change this offense drastically in a positive fashion unless they are bring in better talent or are drastically better evaluators of the talent that might be hidden here currently.

If we are going the Assitant route and want to get maximum reward and don’t mind the risk.  Doug Belk is the guy.  He is young for the position but just a little younger that Harrell.  He is the best defensive coach in Texas right now that you might be able to hire.  He would inject a lot of energy.  And recruits serious about their future as defensive players would more likely come here.  If we can get Phil Bennett to stay on with him and mentor/assist  him in the head coaching responsibilities it would be a home run I think.

Edited October 26, 2021 by Mike Jackson

[Mean Green Matt]

4 hours ago, greenminer said:

I got a good laugh out of the replies in this Tweet Thread:
 

 

Coaches are masters of this. He said a lot of words. But none of them were “I’m not taking the job at Texas Tech”. 
 

if he does stay at UTSA I hope they give him a massive raise and then completely implodes. Just so they know what that’s like. 

[Greenrex]

15 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

Wonder if Wren is starting to wear his welcome thin in Waco?

Not as long as he pays for lunch.

[jtm0097]

1 hour ago, Mike Jackson said:

Nothing against Graham Harrell but I am not interested in a first time HC with FBS OC being their highest level of experience.  Especially if they are from the Mike Leach coaching tree.  The spread is the most popular offense in college football these days. I doubt any Mike Leach disciple is going to change this offense drastically in a positive fashion unless they are bring in better talent or are drastically better evaluators of the talent that might be hidden here currently.

If we are going the Assitant route and want to get maximum reward and don’t mind the risk.  Doug Belk is the guy.  He is young for the position but just a little younger that Harrell.  He is the best defensive coach in Texas right now that you might be able to hire.  He would inject a lot of energy.  And recruits serious about their future as defensive players would more likely come here.  If we can get Phil Bennett to stay on with him and mentor/assist  him in the head coaching responsibilities it would be a home run I think.

The DC from Houston? We can do better than that. 

[Wag Tag]

3 hours ago, Mike Jackson said:

Nothing against Graham Harrell but I am not interested in a first time HC with FBS OC being their highest level of experience.  Especially if they are from the Mike Leach coaching tree.  The spread is the most popular offense in college football these days. I doubt any Mike Leach disciple is going to change this offense drastically in a positive fashion unless they are bring in better talent or are drastically better evaluators of the talent that might be hidden here currently.

If we are going the Assitant route and want to get maximum reward and don’t mind the risk.  Doug Belk is the guy.  He is young for the position but just a little younger that Harrell.  He is the best defensive coach in Texas right now that you might be able to hire.  He would inject a lot of energy.  And recruits serious about their future as defensive players would more likely come here.  If we can get Phil Bennett to stay on with him and mentor/assist  him in the head coaching responsibilities it would be a home run I think.

Why wasn't Harrell given the interim position? HC experience is a must.

 

[TheColonyEagle]

Is recruiting our #1 problem? 

According to 247 our classes have ranked:

2018     #8

2019     #4

2020     #2

2021      #1

Seems to me our recruiting the past 3 years has been the best in CUSA. How do we get someone to get us better classes than #1 in the conference?

This also highlights how a good coach can win big NEXT season. This is not a rebuild. 

 

*edit: something I thought of looking at those class rankings...that's another bullet point on selling this job to an established good coach. A coach that some think "no way we could get that guy." And also one that a coach can look past this "dead end job" and think "I will be the one to make UNT realize their potential."

This new coach will be walking into:

1. top facilities

2. high end money/salaries

3. administrative support

4. upgraded conference

5. a room full of highly rated athletes already here

 

 

6. I can put those 5 things together and supplement with a few big time transfers and win IMMEDIATELY

Edited October 26, 2021 by TheColonyEagle

[wardly]

19 hours ago, kj86 said:

No college HC experience, but the Texas ties could really help.

Um...I think we said that about Dodge.

No comparison. Dodge had no college coaching experience plus he was allowed to bring his high school staff which was a grave error. He could recruit, and coach Mac did well with those players until he didn't. I can't think of any high school coach who made the direct leap to college head coach and succeeded. Also, I have no idea why Graham Harrell would be interested in North Texas. It appears that he might have P5 opportunities in the future.

[wardly]

10 hours ago, denton_days said:

hell yeah means he can party

As alcoholic who has not had a drink since Christmas of 1988 I can tell you that this is a big red flag. Not to preach, but normal people don't get drunk, and they certainly don't get D.U.I.'s. The only way I would consider him would be to mandate ongoing A.A. participation or an out patient program, and even then I would be very concerned. He has a drinking problem,so the question is would you hire someone as an employee in your business knowing this.

[NorthTexan95]

1 hour ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Is recruiting our #1 problem? 

According to 247 our classes have ranked:

2018     #8

2019     #4

2020     #2

2021      #1

Seems to me our recruiting the past 3 years has been the best in CUSA. How do we get someone to get us better classes than #1 in the conference?

This also highlights how a good coach can win big NEXT season. This is not a rebuild. 

 

*edit: something I thought of looking at those class rankings...that's another bullet point on selling this job to an established good coach. A coach that some think "no way we could get that guy." And also one that a coach can look past this "dead end job" and think "I will be the one to make UNT realize their potential."

This new coach will be walking into:

1. top facilities

2. high end money/salaries

3. administrative support

4. upgraded conference

5. a room full of highly rated athletes already here

 

 

6. I can put those 5 things together and supplement with a few big time transfers and win IMMEDIATELY

It's weird that as our recruiting has improved our team hasn't.  One big issue is we don't have another Mason Fine.  Seth's first recruiting class was not good overall but he did hit on the most important position, QB.

So either the issues is coaching / player development or the players we got were not worthy of their recruiting status.  I'd imagine it's some of both. 

[MeanGreen22]

Others have made this point, and for what it’s worth.. I don’t a think UNT will be the one to do it, but someone is eventually going to take that chance with Art. 
 

 

[TheColonyEagle]

20 minutes ago, MeanGreen22 said:

Others have made this point, and for what it’s worth.. I don’t a think UNT will be the one to do it, but someone is eventually going to take that chance with Art. 
 

 

Seems like if there is any school that won't give a sh*t about the blowback from hiring a particular coach it would be TTech.

[Greenrex]

1 hour ago, wardly said:

As alcoholic who has not had a drink since Christmas of 1988...

Wardly, congratulations on your continued success. All the best to you.

[TreeFiddy]

If UNT is really serious about and committed to winning they will make this type of hire.  If they are not, then we will see something along the RV style of hire that is safe and relatively inexpensive that checks the minimum amount of boxes to qualify as a good hire on paper, just like Littrell and those that came before him.

It is time to shake things up and put everyone on notice that UNT is serious about football.

We have not hired a coach that left UNT with a winning record since 1973 (the great one).  Yet we continue to sit on a high horse when it comes to potential coaches. Let that sink in, 1973 was the last hire that left with a winning record.   Do you think our hiring process may be in need an overhaul?